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Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1881-1953)
}} Edwin Joseph O'Malley (1881-1953) was the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City and the father of Walter Francis O'Malley who was the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. (b. August 23, 1881, The Bronx, Bronx County, New York, USA - d. April 10, 1953, Amityville, Nassau County, Long Island, New York, USA) -1955) circa 1905|left]] Parents *Thomas Francis O'Malley (1854-1918) *Georgiana Reynolds (1855-1941) Birth He was born in the Bronx, New York in 1881. Marriage and children He married Alma Feltner (1883-1940) on January 16, 1902 and had one child, a son, Walter Francis O'Malley (1903-1979), who would become the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1950 to 1979, and who would oversee their controversial move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. In 1910 Edwin was living in the Bronx, New York and working as a cotton goods salesman. Around 1911 he moved the family from the Bronx to Hollis, Queens. He registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, but did not serve in World War I. He became a Democratic party "ward heeler" for Tammany Hall, and was appointed as the Commissioner of Public Markets for New York City by mayor John F. Hylan. There was an inquiry into his department in 1921-1922. He testified on August 18, 1922 before the Kings County, New York Grand Jury, which was investigating the mishandling of the fees paid by vendors to the Public Markets office. There were no charges filed. Death He died in Amityville, New York in 1953, aged 73. Obituary The New York Times on April 12, 1953: E. J. O'Malley Dies. Led City Markets. Commissioner Under Hylan Advocated Large Centers for Food Distribution. Edwin J. O'Malley, Commissioner of Markets under Mayor John F. Hylan, died of a heart attack Friday night at his home, 425 East Seventy-second Street. He was 69 years old. He was a long-time advocate of huge food-receiving and distribution centers in the city. Many officials and civic leaders during the first quarter of the century shared his belief in the desirability of such centers as a means of achieving greater efficiency in food handling and reducing food prices. Mr. O'Malley was named by Mayor Hylan Deputy Commissioner of Markets, under Commissioner Jonathan P. Daly, on March 11, 1918. On October 14, 1919, Commissioner Day removed Mr. O'Malley for alleged profiteering in the sale of Army foodstuffs. Mayor Hylan then placed Mr. O'Malley in the Department of Charities and two months later on December 3, removed Mr. Day and gave the post to Mr. O'Malley. He remained, though frequently criticized by various groups, until the administration of Mayor J. Walker began in 1926. A founder and director of the Grand Street Boys Club, he was a life member of the Elks Lodge, Number 878, a past president of the Hollis (Queens) Civic Association, a member of the Woodhaven (Queens) Volunteer Exempt Fireman's Association and the last chief of the Hollis Volunteer Fire Department. His first wife, the former Alma Feltner, died in 1940. He leaves his second wife, Mrs. Constance O'Malley; a son, Walter F. O'Malley of Amityville, Long Island, who is president of the Brooklyn Dodgers; five brothers, two sisters and two grandchildren. Court cases * Schumaker v. O'Malley; May 1, 1920 * Matter of Joerger v. O'Malley; December 1, 1923 References * Roger Kahn; The Era 1947-1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World. ISBN 0-8032-7805-5 * Burton Alan Boxerman; Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball. ISBN 0-7864-1562-2 * Henry D. Fetter; Taking on the Yankees: Winning and Losing in the Business of Baseball, 1903-2003. ISBN 0-393-05719-4. External link *Findagrave: Edwin O'Malley *Wikipedia: Edwin Joseph O'Malley *Edwin Joseph O'Malley bibliography Source *Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) __SHOWFACTBOX__ Category:American people of Irish descent Edwin Joseph Category:People from the Bronx Category:People from Long Island Category:Commissioners of Public Markets Category:Politicians from New York City